Bits and Pieces of Me

Profile

Who am I? I am a screwed-up blogger and an active blog reader since 2007. A soulful dreamer who believes that passion is life and a person who is looking for meaning, just like any other human being in this world. A super girl wannabe who is currently taking chances and chasing pavements, while keeping up with time and living life in general. This is me, and this blog is the outlet of my random thoughts. (^___^)

Other Outlets in Cyberworld

Tumblr Twitter Facebook me2day Formspring Weibo Flickr

This Flash Player was created @ FlashWidgetz.com.

Blogger's Note

Most of the posts in this blog revolve around Asian dramas, movies and pop culture, so please proceed at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you. Haha! Have a wonderful and blessed day! :)

Disclaimer

Most of the images and the videos in this blog are not mine unless otherwise stated. No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to their respective owners. The rules of this blog are simple: no spamming and stealing. x

Twitter

Tagboard

Yesterday was the last day of my Reply 1997 marathon, otherwise known as Answer Me 1997, a cable TV drama from the same TV station (TVN) which brought one of my most loved dramas on the small screen this year. I am talking about Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na's Queen In Hyun's Man which I raved about a few months ago. Back in the days, most of the good productions on television came mostly from the three broadcasting giants such as KBS, SBS, and MBC, but these days, cable channels like TVN have been making waves domestically in Korea and internationally over Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. TVN is really on a roll this year! And I cannot wait for their upcoming dramas for the first quarter of next year. Reply 1997 is a drama from the mighty tandem of producer Shin Won Ho and screenwriter Lee Woo Jung. This drama takes us back to the year 1997 at the height of the popularity of male rival bands H.O.T. and Sechskies and the other first generation idol groups in South Korea. This marked the early beginnings of Kpop, even before the famous idol groups of today existed. It talks about the lives of six young people whose lives have been intertwined by fate back in the year 1997 in sunny Busan. At that time, they were just typical teenagers who were going through typical problems and struggles that youngsters usually go through. But more than that, it's a story about family, friendship, love, yearning, and finding oneself—a story that people can easily relate to.

This is Yoon Yoon Jae and Sung Siwon played by singer and actor Seo In Kook and girl group A Pink member Eunji, respectively. They are best friends of the same age who grew up together and have been stuck with each other ever since they were kids. Both of their families share a unique bond together, so they have treated each other like family as well. Yoon Jae is Siwon's best friend. They have shared their whole lives together and are too familiar of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Yoon Jae is the smart class monitor who is number one in class and good in everything he does, while Siwon is the typical girl who is obsessed with the then popular boy group H.O.T. which rose to stardom during the second half of the 90s. She is the ever loyal and passionate fangirl who would do anything and everything for the name of H.O.T. and its fandom. Because of that, she is always misunderstood. Despite her over-the-top fangirl musings, she is wholeheartedly loved and adored by lovestruck Yoon Jae.

Siwon and Yoon Jae

Then, let's throw in boy group INFINITE member Hoya who plays the role of Kang Joon Hee. He is the other best friend slash alternate guy pal to Siwon when Yoon Jae isn't around. He is a soft spoken, gentle, and delicate person who is also a loyal friend not just to Siwon but to all his friends. Joon Hee is the ever dependable friend who is always willing to go the extra mile for her. Because Yoon Jae sees him as a rival in pursuing Siwon, his friendly gestures have been misunderstood by jealous Yoon Jae countless of times. Unknown to him, Joon Hee has his own little secret, and that's probably the most heartbeaking part of the entire story. *sighs* Joon Hee is trustworthy and kind. He is the kind of guy friend that every girl would like to have—a partner in crime to all H.O.T. gigs, a shoulder to lean on, a confidant. No guy out there would probably understand how it's like to be a fan of somebody in K entertainment, and that fact alone has made me vouch for Joon Hee ever since day one. I, for one, am personally jealous of Siwon not because he has Yoon Jae by her side but because she has Joon Hee as a friend. Aside from Joon Hee, she has Yoon Jae's older bro Tae Wong too. Lucky girl, I must say.

Joon Hee

There's also Moo Yoo Jung, played by actress Shin So Yul. She is Eunji's best gal pal who is also an H.O.T. fan like her. She also adores H.O.T.'s rival group Sechskies and gets in trouble with Siwon most of the time. Together, they are Korea's most devoted fangirls to their oppas. Although she argues with Siwon sometimes, their relationship is just like that of sworn sisters after a blood compact. Another character is Do Hak Chan, a general's son who came all the way from Seoul to study in Busan because of his father's job. He is played by singer turned actor Eun Ji Won, a member of boy group Sechskies in real life. He is meek and innocent but loves to watch porn during his spare time. He doesn't have that much friends as well. He is also very nervous whenever he is near girls. He cannot talk or even look at them in the eyes. However, despite his affinity to porn, he has his eyes set only on Yoo Jung. Truth be told, their pairing is one of my favorites in the entire series. I haven't watched that much projects starring Shin So Yul or Eun Ji Won. I am not a Sechskies fan either. But after watching the drama, I have started to ship them. Heh! If only Eun Ji Won isn't married in real life. Lastly, there's Lee Shi Un as Bang Sung Jae, the group's clown. In this drama and in every other drama, his character is just as important as the main leads. Without a merrymaker like Lee Shi Un, a drama tackling some serious, unresolved past issues an be boring, but Lee Si Un's was just the missing piece to the equation.

Yoo Jung and Hak Chan

Sung Jae

For a couple of days in the past few weeks, I smiled, laughed, and wept while watching the series. That's how attached I was to Reply 1997. While I was sick, it gave me strength and a reason to wake up a little earlier in the morning just to catch it on Youku or other video-sharing sites without English subtitles. I was pleasantly surprised to find a teen drama on a cable channel which spoke to all generations of crazy fangirls (and maybe fanboys) out there. But more than all the fangirling is the story and the brilliant directing and execution which was loved by many drama fans and Kpop fans alike because of its attempt to showcase the early days of the passionate pop culture during the 90s. Reply 1997 is a drama I didn't expect I would come across with this year. It is so different and unique in its own way, and that's what makes it shine among the rest. If you may have noticed, I haven't blogged about that many dramas this year. But for this one, I just can't sit back and watch. It's one of my favorite dramas this year, and because of the pure awesomeness that is the story, directing, and acting altogether, it is only fitting for Reply 1997 to have its own post in this blog.

I have a lot of favorite characters in the story and one is Siwon though she can be quite upsetting at times. She is the fangirl who puts all the other fangirls out there like me to shame. Her passion knows no bounds and reservations. When she loves something, she pours all her heart to it. She is also a kickass heroine, if I must say. What I love about her character is the fact that she is not the typical fragile girl who only knows how to cry in a corner. Despite being extremely loud for a girl, she is strong and dignified. She stands by what she wants all the time and her passion allows her to get right where she wants. On top of it all, she shows her love to H.O.T. like it's nobody's business. She is one tough girl who truly knows what she wants. Yoon Jae, on the other hand, is not necessarily a favorite character of mine but someone I think I would like if ever he existed in real life. All his life, he thought of Sung Siwon, his friend of too many years who is obsessed of a certain guy (or group) who only exists on TV. Yoon Jae, unlike most guys out there, is definitely a keeper. He is someone who would never ever trade Siwon for anything in the world, and that's what I like best about him. Even if he gets his hair pulled all the time, he is still the same lovelorn Yoon Jae who is constant and unchanging.

My second favorite character is Eun Ji Won's Do Hak Chan. I like how he is so naive about relationships and girls, yet he knows how to make Yoo Jung smile so well. He knows the right timing to strike all the time and he knows how to strike while the iron is hot. Despite being a man of few words, Do Hak Chan won my heart for too many reasons that I may never be able to explain why or how. He makes me smile for just being himself, and that is something that I really like about him. My third favorite is Yoon Jae's older brother Yoon Tae Woong, the high school teacher and self-made millionaire who became his own brother's rival in love at one point in time. In movies and dramas, his character is someone we can easily associate with—the kind and good oppa who always gets his heart broken at the end of the story. He was Siwon's older sister's childhood flame before she passed away, but after his girlfriend's death, he turned his all his attention to the young Siwon. He was very vocal about it and made sure that Siwon knew how he felt every day. Aside from Joon Hee, he was Siwon's other saving grace in the story. He loved her a lot but was willing to give her up for the happiness of his younger brother.

Last but not the least is Joon Hee. I have said this previously and I will say it again. I adore Joon Hee's character not because of how well he treated Siwon but because he is a selfless and admirable person. He had somebody in his heart all this time but did not let those things get in the way of friendship. He is actually someone I would like to be friends with in real life. Haha! Joon Hee's character in the drama represents one-sided love in whatever form, so I am not surprised why many were able to relate to it. I don't want to spoil the story, but at the end of the drama, it seemed to me that he got his own happy ending after all. Although it wasn't what he originally hoped for, it was probably even better than what he wanted.

Reply 1997 is a good reminder of the old days—way back when listening to the radio, portable CD players, and cassette tapes were all the rage. I remember doing such things when I was younger. *Good times...good times* The drama also gave us a glimpse on how serious fans were on the competition between old school Kpop groups and on how Kpop fans acted back then. The drama reminds us that fangirling is a serious business and is a competition of the fittest. I have turned 24 two months ago, and from being a fangirl for the past 12 years, I have learned how to support my fandom (ELF here!) and my favorite idols quietly. Back in the days, I used to be as passionate as the others, although not on par with Siwon. Hahaha! These days, I support my favorite idols and/or actors and actresses by watching their dramas and buying their latest releases from iTunes, Soribada, or other online music sites, but that doesn't make me love them less. :)

If you are looking for a good teen drama to marathon on boring days, whether you are a Kpop fan or not, I recommend Reply 1997. More than its reference to the pop culture during the late 90s, it's a drama about family, friendship, love, life, finding happiness, and letting go—a drama that everyone can enjoy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bumping into someone on the street, reaching for the same book at the library, or running under someone’s umbrella, I thought that falling in love would be special. I couldn’t imagine that I’d fall because of something like this. During the spring of 1996, my first love began that suddenly.

Back then, she was pretty because she took off her glasses. But now she’s still pretty even when she wears them.

When you’re a big brother or a big sister, you may sometimes want to be selfish, but your instinct just tells you not to. You may also have tried so hard to keep things you wants for yourself; however, in the end, you always have to let your little ones have them because you prefer seeing them happy.

First love is reckless. Without calculating, it throws everything in with pure passion, and inevitably fails. But that’s why it’s dramatic—the reckless tales wrapped up in experiences or feelings that you can never have again.

If we do not accept the truth, we will have to live with lies. We have to live with inconvenient truths. What we see is not all we know.

There is no better time then now. The next time may never come. A next time may never come when now is right in front of you. Life is too short for that.

[It is]A relationship determined before I was born, a relationship established regardless of what I wanted. That’s family.

Love is not a choice. It’s what the heart wants.

The reason I like you? Because it’s you, just you. That’s the only reason. I wish I knew then I could figure out how to stop liking you. Because I can’t avoid it, I only want one thing—to stay as a friend who doesn’t change.

The easiest thing we can do for the person we love is to throw ourselves away. The strength to do things that is not in our nature—that’s love.

Only those who wait will find love.

First love is thoughtless. If you don’t calculate and just throw your innocence and passion at it, it’ll end up failing. That’s why it’s dramatic. The thoughtless stories, mixed with the emotions and warmth can never be retrieved again. That's why my first love is my life's most dramatic story. Therefore, failure is even okay. Instead of a happy ending, a sad ending remains in the memory longer, so it’s okay to leave even just one sad ending of a failed first love in one small portion of my life. First love is a season. When it passes, it’s gone. Now, it’s time to greet the new season and give it a chance for a new romance. Even though we’ll never experience the warmth and innocence of a first love again, we have to wait for the romance when we become adults after becoming mature from the pain of a first love.

That nostalgic time that was passionate and innocent...

Can you hear it? If you hear it, reply, my 90s.

Video Sources: Silver93lov@youtube.com, soso438music@youtube.com

Disclaimer: All the pictures used in this blog post are not mine. The credit or credits go to all their respective owner or owners. :)

Labels: korean drama, Reply 1997, TVN

My Favorite Teen Drama of the Year: Reply 1997

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 @ 9:23 PM | comment (0)

Yesterday was the last day of my Reply 1997 marathon, otherwise known as Answer Me 1997, a cable TV drama from the same TV station (TVN) which brought one of my most loved dramas on the small screen this year. I am talking about Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na's Queen In Hyun's Man which I raved about a few months ago. Back in the days, most of the good productions on television came mostly from the three broadcasting giants such as KBS, SBS, and MBC, but these days, cable channels like TVN have been making waves domestically in Korea and internationally over Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. TVN is really on a roll this year! And I cannot wait for their upcoming dramas for the first quarter of next year. Reply 1997 is a drama from the mighty tandem of producer Shin Won Ho and screenwriter Lee Woo Jung. This drama takes us back to the year 1997 at the height of the popularity of male rival bands H.O.T. and Sechskies and the other first generation idol groups in South Korea. This marked the early beginnings of Kpop, even before the famous idol groups of today existed. It talks about the lives of six young people whose lives have been intertwined by fate back in the year 1997 in sunny Busan. At that time, they were just typical teenagers who were going through typical problems and struggles that youngsters usually go through. But more than that, it's a story about family, friendship, love, yearning, and finding oneself—a story that people can easily relate to.